2020 ESU Branch Tlab Scholarship Handbook
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2020 ESU Branch TLab Scholarship Handbook THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION OF THE UNITED STATES 144 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 212-818-1200 ext. 246 [email protected] www.esuus.org Table of Contents Memo to Branches 3 Program Overview 4-7 • TLab Scholarship Committee • TLab Scholarship Teacher Selection • Funding and Partnerships • Partnering Events • Scholarship Application Process • 2020 TLab Scholarship Timeline • Mailings to Teachers • TLab Scholar Interview Notification Sample Memo to Teachers 8 Interview Materials • Guidelines for TLab Scholarship Interviewers 9 • TLab Scholarship Interviewers’ Evaluation 10-11 • TLab Scholarship Interview Requirements Checklist 12 • TLab Interview Report 13 Publicizing TLab Scholarships 14 Dispensing TLab Scholarship Funds 15 Branch TLab Scholarship Checklist 16 Websites for Shakespeare’s Globe, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford 17 2 MEMO To: ESU Branch Presidents, Officers and Coordinators From: Betty Roth, Senior Manager, School and Teacher Programs Date: September 2019 Dear ESU Branch Presidents and Officers, It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 2020 TLAB Scholarship Program. As a former public school teacher, I can tell you how vital and necessary this program is to my colleagues around the country. Your generosity is enriching classrooms, extending careers, enlightening children and improving communities in countless ways. Your support of teachers is unique and a true manifestation of Sir Evelyn Wrench’s mandate that we use English as a catalyst for understanding. Every year, the teachers you send to classes at Oxford, Edinburgh and the Globe tell us of the value of this life-changing experience. With your help, the English-Speaking Union will continue to support teachers, change careers and impact thousands of students each and every year. Attached, you’ll find the TLAB Scholarship Handbook. Inside, you’ll find all the tools you need to promote the program, receive applications and select a candidate. Here is very brief timeline for the TLab program: • Sign up to provide TLab scholarship(s) by October 15, 2019. • We will begin outreach very soon, but we need to know where to target our efforts. Please let us know as soon as possible if you’ll be joining the rest of the ESU in supporting teachers. Once you sign up, we can make a scholarship application available to teachers in your community. Applications can be customized for your branch. • We strongly recommend that you extend your branch deadlines until February 8, 2020 in order to give as many teachers as possible the chance to apply. Your selection committee may then conduct interviews and choose a recipient in the following week. • Send in the 2020 Branch Scholar Entry form (available on our website under “Branch Resources” in November) by February 21, 2020. • Late February/March: Deadlines for teacher applications (decided by British institutions). As always, it is our pleasure to serve our branches and assist our coordinators. Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. On behalf of all the teachers you have supported in the past, and those whose lives you will change in the future, I thank you most sincerely. Your commitment, generosity and dedication to education in your communities is an example to all. Best regards, Betty Roth Senior Manager, School and Teacher Programs 3 TLab Branch Scholarships First Step: Define your branch scholarship. • Determine the amount of your scholarship(s); tuition for a three-week summer program in 2019 was approximately $5,000. • Partial scholarships are set amounts that cover a portion of a TLab program fee; this amount should be clear to applicants/scholars. • Full scholarships cover the entire TLab program fee and may also include airfare and/or a stipend, in which case that amount should be clear to applicants/scholars. • Note the 3.5% Branch Participation Fee that branches will pay when they are billed for the scholarship. o If your branch is offering a partial scholarship, please be sure to cover the cost of the 3.5% fee in addition to the scholarship amount; if necessary, check with ESU National to determine the amount. • All payments must be received by the start date of the program or the branch will be subject to a penalty charge of 5% of the total amount. By October 15, 2019 Complete the 2020 TLab Branch Participation Form to confirm your branch’s scholarship(s) for summer 2020 Next step: Select a TLab Coordinator and assemble a Scholarship Selection Committee. TLab Scholarship Committee • Must consist of at least two people, one with professional academic experience, if possible. o TLab alumni and ESU National Shakespeare Competition Committee members and/or judges make excellent committee members. • Must include at least one ESU branch board member. • Any TLab Scholarship Committee member affiliated with a candidate or their friends, family or school should recuse themselves from the final selection process. TLab Scholarship Teacher Selection • Select teachers who will have the greatest impact and most benefit from an ESU TLab Scholarship: o Mid-career, full-time teachers with 5 to15 years teaching experience. o Teachers who work in schools with a significant number of underserved students. o Teachers who have not studied overseas or participated in extended professional development. o English Language Arts/Literature teachers (rather than drama teachers) are prioritized for the Globe’s “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” program. Applications to the Globe should emphasize classroom teaching experiences and not directorial or acting experience. The Globe prefers classroom teachers over “teaching artists.” • The TLab Scholarship must be advertised to public secondary schools. It may also be open to independent and parochial school teachers. 4 Funding and Partnerships TLab programs are two to three weeks in duration, and fees range from approximately $3,000 to $5,000, each. The fee includes: • Tuition • Most meals • Dorm (with shared bathroom) o Private, en suite accommodations may be available for an extra cost. o Your ESU Branch should discuss with your scholar(s) if this cost is included in their scholarship. Branches are not obligated to, nor do they typically, cover these extra costs. Each ESU Branch decides whether to provide a full or partial scholarship and whether or not to contribute toward the teachers’ airfare. Many teachers are delighted to receive partial scholarships and may be able to raise additional funds through professional or personal means. Please recommend the Teacher Fundraising Guide to your scholars who may be seeking additional funds, and/or scholars who are not ultimately awarded your branch’s scholarship. Your ESU Branch TLab Scholarship is the perfect opportunity to increase visibility of the ESU’s educational mission and partner with other local organizations. Identify and contact organizations or businesses in your community who would be interested in supporting the TLab Scholarship. Partnering Events Some branches hold an additional event in conjunction with an ESU TLab Scholarship. You may consider one or more of the following events: • Scholar presentation at branch meeting • TLab alumni teacher workshop • Wrench Lecture 5 Scholarship Application Process Prospective scholars will complete and submit the 2020 TLab Scholarship Application Form (available in October 2019). ESU National will post applications to the website. TLab Scholarship Committees will review the applications, notify potential scholars of their application status and invite those scholars to interview (January-February 2020). TLab Scholars must be selected by February 21, 2020. TLab Coordinators will complete the 2020 Branch Scholar Entry Form (available on the website under Branch Resources by November) to notify ESU National of the ESU Branch scholars for Summer 2020. 2020 English-Speaking Union TLab Scholarship Timeline By October 15, 2019 • Complete the 2020 ESU TLab Branch Participation Form. • ESU Branches must notify ESU National of any branch-specific stipulations for TLab Scholars. October 17, 2019 • 2020 ESU TLab Branch Scholarship Application Forms available on our website. Each branch will have its own application that will be forwarded instantaneously and directly to each branch TLab coordinator. November-December 2019 • Outreach locally and nationally. ESU to provide emails and online resources for branches and teachers. January-February 2020 • Branches conduct interviews for ESU Branch TLab Scholarships. February 21, 2020 • Deadline for branches to complete the 2020 Branch Scholar Entry Form; your branch must select your scholar(s) by this date. This deadline was created based on application deadlines for the British institutions. • Applications to British institutions (University of Oxford, Shakespeare’s Globe and SUISS) are due to ESU National. ESU National will forward these applications to the respective institutions. Please note: Most TLab Scholars are accepted to their first choice program. However, these programs have limited availability and acceptance is not guaranteed. Final acceptance is determined by the British institution, not the ESU (branch or national). April 2020 • TLab Scholars are notified of the status of their application by the British institutions. National does not notify as schools have the final say. May-June 2020 • Invoices are sent to the ESU Branch Presidents, Treasurers, TLab Chairs and TLab Scholars (if applicable). The 3.5% Branch Participation Fee will be included